Caloocan court orders arrest of cops in Kian slay

ABS-CBN News

PO1 Jeremias Pereda, PO1 Jerwin Cruz, PO3 Arnel Oares take their oath during the Senate probe on the death of Kian Loyd Delos Santos at the Philippine Senate on Thursday. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - (UPDATED) A Caloocan court has issued a warrant of arrest against three policemen charged with murder over the killing teenage drug suspect Kian delos Santos last year, authorities said Wednesday.

The warrant will be served on the three at the National Capitol Region Police Office holding in Taguig City, where they are assigned, said Sheriff Darwin Trinidad of the Caloocan Trial Court Branch 125.

The court also issued an arrest warrant against Renato Perez Loveras, the police asset who claimed Delos Santos was dealing drugs. Loveras was also seen with the tree policemen in CCTV footage.

The three police officers, who were posted in Caloocan police station 7, were part of an anti-illegal drugs police operation that allegedly led to the killing of Delos Santos.

They initially said the Grade 11 student violently resisted arrest. But CCTV footage and witnesses' accounts cast doubt on their claim.

Oares and Pereda later admitted that they were the men shown in CCTV footage dragging Delos Santos to the spot where he was killed.

Cruz, however, denied this and said it was not the teenager they were dragging, but a police asset.